At the very end of the wearying journey that is potty training awaits one final challenge: the butt wipe. It may seem intuitive to you, but to a kid with a high tolerance for grossness and an urgency to get back to their toys, wiping properly is just not a priority. Teaching a kid to wipe their butt is the last battle, but it’s not going to be a simple one.
A good wipe is essential to prevent a number of uncomfortable genital bacterial infections and, in some cases, serious health complications. The uphill battle to toilet independence might be long, but here are some tips to help your child reach their clean butt potential.
Make a bathroom habits list
It’s common for a restless kid to skip some of the steps of a bathroom trip. Make it impossible to forget by posting a reminder checklist where it’s easy for them to see. You can get a printable one online (like this one) that use both words and symbols for pre-readers. Or have your child make the checklist themselves, an activity that will help them nail their routine next time. Count toilet paper squares
Figuring out how much toilet paper they need is essential for a successful wipe. Too much will clog the toilet and waste paper. Too little will result in an insufficient wipe and, more than likely, dirty hands. The rule of thumb is to count four squares of paper or just enough to wrap around their hand twice. Then show them how to fold the paper and wipe front to back until the paper comes back streak-free...